Chelsea manager, Enzo Maresca, has admitted he was “afraid” of Reece James and Romeo Lavia getting injured during their 2-1 defeat to Liverpool on Sunday.
Maresca handed James his first start of the season against the Reds.
Lavia was also named in the starting XI at Anfield.
But Maresca decided to substitute both players before the hour mark.
“For James and Romeo, it was 45 minutes to one hour maximum,” Maresca said.
“I was a bit afraid to give them more minutes on the pitch. decided to change them after 50, 55 minutes.”
Chelsea remain fourth on the Premier League table with 14 points from eight fixtures.